Cbus Winter

Over the last four years I have lived in no fewer than six states. On top of that, I have visited several other states for weeks at a time. The list includes Washington, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Texas and more. One of the advantages of visiting so many states is that you feel like you have a solid understanding of different climates around the US. Brian Regan once did a comedy skit surrounding the “Me Monster.” While most people dislike frigid winters, few people like to admit that others have it worse than they in terms of winter weather. Take it from someone who has been there and seen it. Columbus winters are cold, but not that cold.

There are generally three main arguments that people make when qualifying their worst winters. One is temperature. This argument doesn’t hold too much water in a lot of states because sheer numbers would dictate that plenty of regions in the US are worse off than they. Because of this, some argue that the humidity found in the slightly warmer temperatures creates an air that will penetrate coats and skin to hit your very bones. Others will make up for higher temperatures with wind speed. Obviously, the more the wind blows the more severe a windchill will be. Another argument is precipitation. Again, particular areas of the U.S. win in terms of sheer quantity of snowfall. To compensate for smaller amounts of snow, citizens of dryer states will argue that when snow falls, its worse because of the lack of preparation. Or maybe, the snow fall is slicker and creates worse driving conditions than in other states. Finally, some talk about the sunshine. They say the lack of sunshine creates an atmosphere that drive spirits down. Seasonal affective disorder is all too real.

While I’m only in January (arguably halfway through the winter weather), RSS weather tells me I’m in the middle of the worst month Columbus has to offer. According to their winter statistics, Columbus is mostly in the middle of all those arguments. The temperatures rarely dip below zero but there is some wind and humidity to decrease the temperature feel. Snowfall is real; however, it’s mild and there are plenty of snow plows and salt trucks running around to keep the roadways clear. Paying closer attention to the levels of sunshine, you can see that Columbus indeed has little sun during the winter. Once again though, there are plenty of regions who have the same or even less sunshine and you’ll notice that those levels only stay low for three months. If you’re wondering about the winters, bring a coat and a hat. You may want to bring layers if you’ll be outside for long periods of time but you’ll likely be okay otherwise. Here at Fisher, there are even basement tunnels that connect Fisher buildings if you’re really uncomfortable with the cold. You may be in for a surprise if you come from a sub-tropical state but if not, you’ll likely be used to whatever Columbus gets.